Microsoft dynamics ax 2012 development introduction part 1/3

Microsoft Dynamics Ax 2012
Development Introduction

By

Ali Raza Zaidi
Alirazaz.zaidi@systemsltd.com

Contents
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Objective.
Features
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Architecture
Data Dictionary
Non-graphical Objects
Forms
X++ Overview
X++ Control Statements
Classes and Objects
Accessing the database
Exception Handling
Conclusion

Objective

"To present profoundly overview
of Microsoft Dynamics Ax
Development Introduction.“

Why Microsoft Dynamics AX?
 Microsoft Dynamics AX core strengths are
in manufacturing and distribution. More than 60% of
Microsoft Dynamics AX users are from these industries.
 Microsoft Dynamics AX allows you to share and update
information across the company in real time,
across multiple sites and in multiple countries. Microsoft
Dynamics AX is an all-inclusive, company-wide ERP
system that customizes to your business.
 Microsoft Dynamics AX is completely intesgrated from
your platform up through the end-user business solutions
applications.



Microsoft Dynamics AX works like and with familiar Microsoft
software, automating and streamlining business processes and
connecting you with global customers, business partners and
subsidiaries in a way that helps you drive business success.

 Microsoft Dynamics AX has fully integrated financials, eliminating
the need for duplicate data entry in other areas of the business.
Microsoft Dynamics AX provides greater insight into your finances
and improves your ability to make the right decisions quickly.
 Microsoft Dynamics AX is an object oriented ERP solution that has
the lowest total cost of ownership in the market.
 Microsoft Dynamics AX fits perfectly in the manufacturing
industry with its multi-item dimensions capability, multi-storage
capability, multi-language support and its open-source
integrated development environment.

Features
• High flexibility;
• Microsoft Office look and feel;
• Integrated development environment for
developing;
• Visual Studio integration;
• Uniform and compact viewing repository
(Application Object Tree);
• Drag-and-drop functionality;
• Projects help organize and track customized
applications.

ARCHITECTURE Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

•

Topics
• Three-Tier Architecture
• Client Workspace
Development Environment
• Layers
• Models

Three-Tier Architecture
• The client application allows
users to connect to the
server to access business
logic and use the data in
the database.
• The server runs the
application business logic.
• The database stores the
data.

•

The following image describes a typical system architecture that includes other
components of the Microsoft technology stack:

Microsoft dynamics ax 2012 development introduction part 1/3

Development Environments
• Morphx IDE
o X++ language code is written here.
o Drag and Drop.
o Code written forms, Classes and logic written here

• Visual Studio.
o
o
o
o

Any Manage Code will be written here
Report Customization and Development.
Remote Debugging Tools.
Application Explorer (Read Only ).

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Layered Architecture

 The method used by Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 to separate
and control the updates and modifications made in the
application is known as "layering.“
 Layers are a hierarchy of levels in the application
 The standard application is never overwritten

Layer

Description

USR

The user layer is for user modifications, such as reports.

CUS

The customer layer is for modifications that are specific to a company.

VAR

Value Added Resellers (VAR) can make modifications or new developments to the
VAR layer as specified by the customers or as a strategy of creating an industry specific
solution.

ISV

When an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) creates their own solution, their
modifications are saved in the ISV layer.

SLN

The solution layer is used by distributors to implement vertical partner solutions.

FPK

The FPK layer is an application object patch layer reserved by Microsoft for future
patching or other updates. For more information, see Patch Layers.

GLS

When the application is modified to match country or region specific legal demands,
these modifications are saved in the GLS layer.

SYS

The standard application is implemented at the lowest level, the SYS layer. The
application objects in the standard application can never be deleted

Models
• A model is a logical grouping of elements within a
layer.
• Models help in situations where multiple ISV
solutions or projects must operate together.
• An element can exist in exactly one model in a
layer.
• New models are easy to create in the MorphX IDE
and are applied when modifying or adding objects
in the AOT.

DATA DICTIONARY

•

Topics
• Application Object Tree
• Labels
Table Structure and Components
• Views
• Maps
• Base Enums
• Extended Data Types
• Table Collections:
• Projects

Application Object Tree (AOT)






The Application Object Tree (AOT)
is a tree view of all the application
objects within
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.
Viewing Repository
The AOT contains everything
needed to customize the look and
functionality of a
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 application.

Label Files
 system which systematizes all the labels (for buttons, forms,
dialog boxes, and more) for a specific language in one file; a
label file
 A label is the text that appears in the user interface.
Create New Label File: Tools > Development Tools > Label >
Label File Wizard.

Tables: Tables store data in the system. They are organized in
fields. These are assigned to different data types,
depending
on the type of data they hold. Data is
entered, edited, and
deleted through forms. Tables are
discussed in more detail later in the section.
Creating a Table:
1. Create a table.
2. Create extended data types.
3. Add fields to the table.
Drag relevant extended data types to the
Fields node of the relevant table.
4. Create relations on extended data types.
5. Create indexes.

Indexes :
An index is a table-specific database structure that speeds the
retrieval of rows from a table. Indexes are used to improve the
performance of data retrieval and occasionally to ensure the
existence of unique records. It's up to the database-specific
query optimizer to use available indexes to facilitate efficient
data retrieval.
The indexes in the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 table definition
are the physical indexes that exist on the tables in the
database.
There are two types of indexes:
• Unique
• Non-Unique

Whether an index is unique is defined by the
index's AllowDuplicates property. When this property is set to No, a
unique index is created. The database uses the unique index to
ensure that no duplicate key values occur. The database prevents
you from inserting records with duplicate key values by rejecting
the insert
Setting the index's AllowDuplicates property to Yes creates a nonunique index. These indexes allow you to enter duplicate values for
the indexed fields and are used for performance reasons.

System Index

Microsoft Dynamics AX requires a unique index on each table so if
there are no indexes on a table or all the indexes are disabled, a
system index is automatically created. The system index is created
on the RecId and DataAreaId fields if the DataAreaId field exists.
Otherwise the system index is created on the RecId field. You can
see system indexes in the database but they aren't visible in the
AOT.

Relations:
Relations are a method that helps secure business
rules to enforce existing properties between field
values existing in different tables. This is known as
referential integrity.

DATA DICTIONARY(Contd.)
Data Types – Primitive and Extended
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 has built in primitive and extended
data types associated with the information in the database.
Primitive Data Types

Extended Data Types
Extended Data types can inherit either from primitive types or
other Extended Data Types, which enables properties to be
inherited.

Delete Actions: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 uses a category of
methods called Delete Actions to govern how data is handled
when a deletion event occurs in a parent tableRelations.
Methods:
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 uses methods within the table
node to perform a variety of functions such as contact person
and currency name lookup.

View
A view is an X++ SQL select statement that is given a name that is reusable in
other X++ SQL statements. The select statement of the view can reference one
table, or it can join tables. Also, a view can reference other views, or a mix of
views and tables. A view can also reference maps.
Developers are encouraged to consider using an AOT query element as the
source of data for their view.
Views are specified at AOT > Data Dictionary > Views.


Maps
Map Use a map element type to specify a data entity type that factors out
common table
fields and methods for accessing data stored in horizontally partitioned tables.
For example, the CustTable and VendTable tables in the Microsoft Dynamics AX
application model are mapped to the DirPartyMap map element so that you
can use one DirPartyMap object to access common address fields and
methods.

Extended Data Types

Base Enums : Base enums are a list of literals. They can be used
throughout the development environment in MorphX.

Table Collections: Table collections do not contain any data.
Virtual companies are built on table collections. They contain
tables shared by more than one company. A table can be a
part of more than one table collection.
Perspectives : Perspectives organize tables, folders, fields, and
roles, in subsets according to application modules in an
intuitive way. Perspective Use a perspective element type to
specify a group of tables and views used together when
designing and generating SSAS unified dimensional models.

Projects:
 Projects organize new or customized application objects. Think
of a Project as a reference folder for related objects.
 Advantage of Projects is the ability to save a project's
contents and state separately for each user by using Private
Projects.

Non-graphical Objects
Topics
• Classes
• Macros :
• Jobs
• Queries
•

Microsoft Dynamics AX Non-graphical Objects
Classes:
 Classes have the following characteristics:





Classes allow reuse common functionality or business logic.
Classes are a design or blueprint for a programming object.
Classes can be run directly from the AOT if a Main method is
Classes in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 share the same attributes
has, such as inheritance, polymorphism, and
encapsulation

defined.
a
class

in

C#

Microsoft Dynamics AX Non-graphical Objects(Contd.)

 Macros :




Macros act as a container for defining variables used for frequent tasks.
The purpose of macros is to make statements easy to reuse.
A macro cannot be executed independently of a class.

Microsoft Dynamics AX Non-graphical Objects(Contd.)

Jobs
 The jobs node on the application object tree contains small X ++ programs
that are executed as batch jobs.
 They are useful when developing and testing new functionality for Microsoft
Dynamics AX 2012.
Queries
 Queries ask questions about
data stored in a database.
The information selected by a
query can be used as the
basis for a form, auto report.

Microsoft dynamics ax 2012 development introduction part 1/3

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Microsoft dynamics ax 2012 development introduction part 1/3